Well it did it again. Temps went down to below zero numbers and my PSD quit while doing 70 mph on the high way. I had been putting Power Service additive in since Nov 30 just like the last 4 winters and it still quit. The heater was plugged in for 2 days and the truck started right up, I let it warm up for 25 minutes, drove the 15 minutes to the coffee shop, let it idle while I ran in, got on the highway and 5 miles down the road lost power, ran rough for a few seconds and quit as I coasted to stop. Let it sit for 3 minutes and it started, ran rough, cleared itself, got back in gear up to 45 mph ok then lost power again so I took the exit but the truck never quit. Drove into the texaco looking for some more additvie figuring that it was gelled up but they had none. Went down the road and she died again. Called the hook cause this time she would not start. When the tow truck showed up it started and ran. Sent it to his shop, he put in a fuel filter and 5gals. of Kerosene and said it was all better. By now though it was 20 degrees warmer. This truck has done this at least once each year when it gets down to zero or close to it no matter what I add. No one ever seems to fix it when it is still cold out, seems by the time they are done fixing the fuel its warm enough that I don't think I would have had a problem anyway.

My thought on this is could it be that the fuel pump is weak and not moving the fuel when it gets the least bit thick. This would explain why everyone is driving past me in their PSD's, Cummings, and DMax's while I sit in the grass a freeze. And why my truck seemed to run fine for 45 minutes then take a break-- the pump was tired of moving fuel but let it rest or have the temp come up and its ok.

Any one know how to check something like this? Or should I just change the pump and wait and see?

At $.50 more a gallon I can't see having to run on straight Kerosene all winter like someone else told me.

Sorry for the long post but I thought the details were important.

 

I am not an expert, but you might want to check the fuse box under the hood to see if the fuel heater in the fuel bowl is shorted out (apparently a semi-common problem). If it were, that could explain the thing starting back up after you wait (as the heat from the engine transfers to the fuel). Just a wild guess. Please don't flame me.

 

Fm Ben Rosey
Whow.....very good analysis. Let's see if that turns out to be the source...

 

Update:

Since my first post I have filled tank with 10 gal kero and 20 gal diesel. Temps were down again overnight (last Thurs) and were up to 10 by 11am Fri. Truck ran 2 blocks and quit. This is after block heater all night and a 15 min warmup in drive way.

Towed to shop, warmed up ran good. Shop guys give up.

One Ford dealer wants 700 to add a top fuel heater kit. Says this will warm return line fuel by passing through coolant. (How is that 3/16 line going to warm 25-30 gals of sub zero fuel?).

Second dealer says I don't need that just bring it in and we'll LOOK at it (time is $) must be something wrong. Checked out the fuel filter heater and thats working.

Any more ideas?

 

Oh, yeah its a 2000 CC 4X4 SB SRW with 114,000 on it.

 

I don't have a clue.

When they warmed it in the shop and it "ran" did they just let it idle like you did? Or did they drive it around without stalling for several miles?

 

not sure. I think they just let it idle. But I've put annother 250 miles on it since then and its been ok. temp hit a low of 11 last night and it got me to work this am. but then i put annother 12 gals of kero in yesterday.